This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
In the 1950s, ware-washing technology involved a machine, with a holding tank, pumping and heating wash water for repeated cycles. The ware-washing machine typically used a building's water supply heated to about 180° F. in a final rinse to sanitize wares, such as dishes, cups, utensils, pots, pans, and the like. A typical ware-washer included a sustainer-heater for the holding tank, dual delivery spray systems, and a booster water heater. These types of ware-washing machines are known as High Temperature (high temp) ware-washers. All of the ware-washer's pumps and heaters were permanently connected to a building's energy supply sources such as electricity, steam, or gas energy. The high temp ware-washers required continuing and intensive service to maintain acceptable operation. Providing timely repair and replacement of the ware-washers was required so that the foodservice facility could continue to operate and serve food. Such repair and replacement required maintaining a fleet of service trucks stocked with repair parts, supplies, chemicals, and also required trained personnel to repair or replace the ware-washer. The ware-washer repair businesses incurred significant costs for the truck fleet, the parts inventory, and to train and maintain reliable repairmen. The restaurant or food-service owner typically incurred repair charges for any repairs required.
Later, a new ware-washing approach developed. This new approach centered around a new type of ware-washer. This new type of ware-washer became to be referred to as a Low Temperature (low temp) Ware-Washer. The low temp ware-washer washed the wares in a batch of water. When the washing cycle finished, the batch of water was dumped to the drain and a fresh batch of water was brought into the ware-washer and used to rinse the wares and complete the cleaning. The batch of water used to rinse the wares was typically used as the wash water, in the next cycle. These low temp ware-washers typically inject chlorine or other chemicals into the batch of water, sanitizing the wares in the final rinse. In addition, there is also a rinse additive added to the batch of water facilitating a sheeting action to reduce water spotting on the wares. Also, detergent is added to the batch of water before starting the washing cycle. The low temp ware-washer typically does not require a boost heater to heat the batch of water to 180° F. because the added sanitizing chemicals provided adequate sanitization using a building's typical hot water supply at temperatures of about 120° F. Compared to high temp ware-washers, low temp ware-washers are lighter, easier to repair, do not require booster heaters, and may be operated using 120 Volt (V) power. As with the high temp ware-washers, the low temp ware-washers are permanently connected to a facility's energy and water supplies and the parts are attached to a ware-washer cabinet with nuts and bolts or other attachments requiring tools.
The low temp ware-washers have proved more reliable, use less energy than the high temp models, and have become very popular in the ware-washer industry. Ware-wash chemical supply companies have developed a system where a low temp ware-washer is provided or leased to a food service facility at low or no-cost in return for the food-service provider's promise and obligation to purchase ware-wash chemicals for use in the low temp ware-washer. The ware-wash chemical supplier typically installs the ware-washer, restocks the chemicals, and maintains and repairs the ware-washer as needed during the term of the agreement. This has become a popular option for food service providers because it reduces capital equipment costs and eliminates equipment maintenance and repair costs for the ware-washer, and saves energy costs compared to high temp ware-washers. The ware-wash chemical suppliers like the arrangement because it provides a predictable revenue stream over an extended time period and allows the cost of the ware-washer and its maintenance and repair to be amortized.
The ware-wash chemical suppliers need to provide or contract with a service provider for a fleet of trucks, stocked with parts driven by trained technicians to maintain and repair the ware-washers placed in a given territory. The cost of labor, the time required to be spent at each placement site, the cost of finding, training, and retaining personnel, and the expense of travel time between each repair site all adds up to a significant expense. In addition, it is important that repair of the ware-washers be provided promptly and essentially for 24 hours per day, seven days per week. If the food service facility cannot wash its wares it cannot stay open for business.
The current general trend in all business is to improve inventory efficiency to maximize cash flow. The ware-washer users experience some negative effects of this trend where the user must wait for parts to be ordered and delivered and may also have to wait for the availability of a service technician. This may lead to multiple trips to a location requiring repair of a ware-washer. Maintenance and repair delays generally may occur for two reasons. First, low inventory levels of repair parts maintained by the companies increase the odds that a part needed will not be immediately available. The other reason for delay is because it is difficult to find, train, and keep qualified field repair technicians. These issues create a barrier to business expansion.
Thus there is a need to provide a method to quickly and reliably maintain ware-washers that does not rely on a chemical supply company maintaining significant repair parts inventories or a need for trained repair technicians in the field.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.